Ultra-Processed Foods: Public Health Policies to Reduce Consumption Cannot Wait

The potential health effect of food processing and food formulation, beyond their food ingredients, nutrient composition, and energy content, is now being widely researched. Prospective studies since 2015 have found associations between consumption of ultra-processed food and altered lipoprotein profiles in children and increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases in adults.

Do we have enough evidence to take concrete action from a government policy and public health standpoint? The ultra-processed food category is broad and heterogeneous, encompassing a wide variety of products and ingredients that may have different effects on health. Read more from BMJ here.